Closer Trevor Hoffman, baseball's all-time saves leader, viewed the Padres as insincere in negotiations that ruptured Monday when the club informed Hoffman that it was withdrawing a $4 million offer.

That's how Hoffman's longtime agent Rick Thurman portrayed Hoffman's reaction to the club's contractual offer itself and refusal to set up a meeting with owner John Moores and his top two executives, CEO Sandy Alderson and General Manager Kevin Towers.

On Friday, Hoffman can begin negotiating with other clubs. Thurman described as “minuscule” the chances that Hoffman will return to the Padres, his only employer since the club acquired him from the Marlins in June 1993.

“Trevor feels the way the Padres dealt with this was inappropriate,” Thurman said, “and it's a rift that will be very difficult to ever mend.

“I don't think the Padres ever had much of an intention of signing him. I think they made him an offer that they didn't think he would accept, just enough to show good faith to fans and people that they made an effort to sign him.”

Neither side said Tuesday that the offer – a $4 million salary for 2009 without performance bonuses, plus a $4 million club option for 2010 without a buyout – was a take-it-or-leave-it offer.

“Let's just see how things progress,” Alderson said, when asked if negotiations can be rekindled. “I expect to meet with Trevor, assuming that he continues to want to do so.”

Hoffman has told some friends he's not coming back and is interested to see what free agency will bring. Thurman mentioned the Cardinals, Diamondbacks, Mets, Indians, Angels and Rangers as among the potential interested parties.

Both Towers and Hoffman had spoken optimistically of reaching terms that would bring back Hoffman in 2009, but for the second time in four offseasons, the front office and the six-time All-Star have struggled to build trust in negotiations.

“Trevor was really upset,” Thurman said. “He wanted to be a Padre for his entire career. He didn't want to leave San Diego. It's upsetting to him.”

In remarks to the Union-Tribune on Thursday, Thurman said he was disappointed that 12 days had gone by without the Padres' responding to his request that Hoffman meet with Moores, Alderson and Towers so they could discuss the direction of the club and his role in 2009.

“I don't think it's appropriate for John to be involved in contract negotiations,” Alderson said Tuesday. “Their original request was that Trevor and his agent meet with John. That's simply not how we do things.”

The same day that Thurman's comments were published, the Padres decided to pull the offer, Alderson said. On Monday, according to Towers, the club faxed the withdrawal notice to Thurman, and Towers told Hoffman that the offer was rescinded. Alderson said Tuesday it bothered him that Thurman had made a public issue of the club's refusal to grant Hoffman an audience with Moores. A person close to the talks said Moores also was irate over the agent's comments.